Folding clothes drier



July 13, 1965 s. P. MIDOUHAS 3,194,409

FOLDING CLOTHES DRIER Filed Dec. 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

S-TEPH EN P. Ml DOUHAS BY J. fl fw HIS ATTORNEY.

July 13, 19 s. P. MIDOUHAS 3,194,409

FOLDING CLOTHES DRIER Filed Dec. 13, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 35 F l G. 1 O

III VIII/Il/l/I/l' Ill/Illll/I III/ll ll/ 1/] IIII\ INVENTOR. STEPHEN P, Ml DOUHAS H l S ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,194,469 FOLDENG CLOTHE DREER Stephen P. Midouhas, 241 Cedar St, Bristol, la. Filed Dec. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 159,123

3 lClaini-s. (Cl. Min-173) This invention relates to improvements in folding or collapsible clothes driers for indoor or outdoor use and relates more particularly to a folding clothesline structure having parallel lines and which is an improvement over the assembly shown in my Patent No. 2,459,110.

An important object of the invention is to provide a structurally and functionally improved folding arm apparatus which will assure ease of movement from extended to folded position and wherein novel spring means are employed to facilitate folding action of each rope-carrying arm.

Folding clotheslines with parallel ropes generally have a pair of spaced rope carrying arms which are rigid throughout their lengths, supported by suitable braces and links in spaced relation to the post, and in folded condition of the ropes the rope arms extend beyond the upper end of the center post, making the assembly too long for easy handling and shipment.

In my earlier patent I disclosed an improvement wherein the arms were centrally pivoted and could thus fold into a considerably smaller space than heretofore. The weight of the articles which were hung on the ropes tended to distort the arms and their alignment and this was particularly true if the first articles were hung at or near the center which is usually the case.

The principal object of the vpresent invention is to pro 3 vide an improved structural arrangement for the rope arms wherein the two sections always retain their aligned position regardless of where the articles are hung, or their weight, and this avoids the tendency of the centrally disposed arms to sag which was one of the difficulties in my earlier apparatus.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clothes drier in extended position,

FIG. 2 is a broken side elevation with the parts in partly folded condition,

PEG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the central area,

FIG. 5 is a broken horizontal section taken just above the sliding collar,

FIG. 6 is a broken plan view showing the spring means for urging the section of the rope arm to folded position,

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 6 but shows the parts in partly folded condition,

FIG. 9 is a broken perspective view showing a modified construction of rope arm,

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line 1ti1 of FIG. 3.

The folding clothes drier of the present invention includes a vertical supporting post 16 and a pair of tubular clothesline supporting arms which are held in a horizontal position in equally spaced relation to the post when the drier is in extended, clothes-supporting position. Each tubular arm is formed in two sections 11 and 12 which are mounted at their inner or meeting ends in hinged relation in a channel 14, which is generally U-shaped in cross section, by means of pivot pins 16. When the arms are in extended position the pivot pins are inclined slightly outwardly at their upper ends, i.e., away from the center supporting post.

The two sections of each rope arm are supported by a pair of radial arms 18, also of tubular construction, which are pivoted at their inner ends by means of pins 17 on a pair of generally U-shaped bracket sections 19 of a ringlike bracket or collar 20 freely slidable 0n the center post.

il dylh Patented July 13, 1965 "ice The inner ends of these tubular radial arms are somewhat flattened.

The outer end of each radial arm is pivotally secured at the center of each rope arm section 11 or 12 by means of a pivot pin 23 which occupies a slightly outwardly inclined vertical position when the rope arms are in extended position, as shown in FIG. 10, and whose head engages the lower wall of radial arm 18. This pin is inroduced into the interior of this tubular arm through an opening 21 in the upper wall. FIG. 10 also shows in somewhat exaggerated form the inclination of connecting channel 14 when the arms are extended. Actually the inclination need only be slight enough to avoid a right angular pull of the ropes or lines on pivot 16. The radial arms are supported between their ends by links 22 which have pivot pins 24 passing through the radial arms at the outer ends of the links and are connected by brackets 26 on a second ring-like member 28 by means of pivot pins 29. This ring-like member is secured in fixed relation at the top of the center post as by a pin 30 and may be of identical construction as the sliding member.

It is preferred to pivotally secure the outer ends of radial arms at about the center of the rope arm sections 11 or 12 and it is also important to have the angle a between the two U-shaped brackets 19 for supporting each pair of interconnected rope arms not less than 30 in order to introduce the heading tool for the rivets Within this angular section. In order to place this pivot reasonably near the center of each rope arm section and still have not less than 30 between each pair of brackets it is necessary to allow some angular movement in a horizontal direction between the radial arms and their pivots andto this end the holes 31 in the radial arms through which pins 17 pass are of elongated shape rather than round. It will thus be noted that the radial arms are not aligned directly with the opposed sides of the bracket sections but extend rather at an angle thereto. This loose connection between the radial arms and the sliding bracket structure does not impair the rigidity of the rope arms. The same arrangement is provided between links 22 and the upper brackets and this elongated shape of holes 31 is indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURES 4 and 5.

These arms have spaced openings 32 through which the ropes or lines 34 pass and it may be one continuous length for one side of the assembly with one knot at each end, or each length of line between the opposed arms may be knotted at its ends.

For the purpose of urging the two arm sections 11 and 12 to folded position one of the pivots 16 support a loop 38 of a wire spring having opposed curved terminal sections as and 37 which engage the tubular walls of sections 11 and 12,.

It will be appreciated that when the sliding collar 20 is lowered the centrally disposed meeting ends of each pair of line arms 1112 move upwardly and continued lowering of the collar causes these arms to approach the center post with the lines hanging downwardly. The collar may be supported in upper position by any means such as a depressible pin 35 but a pin is not usually necessary if the collar is simply moved above the level of the rope arms.

It will be appreciated that by providing in the channel 14 a stop limiting outward travel of the outer ends of the rope arm sections than that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 that heavy articles such as sheets hung on the centrally disposed lines cannot move the inner ends of the arm sections inwardly and the outer ends thereof cannot move inwardly because of the radial arms and the pivoted connecter 21 therewith.

A modification in the construction of the line arms is shown in FIG. 9 where the arm section 39 is formed from a flat strip of sheet metal which is first formed along opposed longitudinal sides with generally L-shaped flanges,

including narrow sections 40 and wider sections 4I'having 1 spaced channel portions 43 struck out transverselyrofsaid wider sections. a The elongated blank is then formed ,to tubular. shape as shown at 47 .with the iwiderzflange sec tions 41 in face-to-face engagement.

Each pairwof ,channels43 form a substantially round passagefor. the 1-ine'45 which is preferably made from plastic materialwhich is heated at its ends to form a :ball shaped terminal 46. The headed line is thus passed through therround passageandthe meeting flanges 41 secured together-by fastening means such as rivets 48. If.

desired the free edges of narrow flanges 40 may be curled 1 over to prevent injury. 1

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments ofthe invention, it'will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention; It-is there-- fore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive .of the invention, ,the

scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that,

all modifications that come within (the meaning and range of equivalency therein. f "WhatI claim is:

' 1. A folding clothes drier comprising:

1 .(a) .a supporting centerpost,

of the claims are intendedto be includedi (b) a pairrof line carrying arms normally supported in equally spaced relation to the center post and lines extending betweensaid arms,

(c) each of said line arms being formed in two tubular sections pivotally joined together at their inner ends;

(e) a channel receiving the meeting ends of the two sectionsawith pivot pins passing; through opposed,

I walls of the channelfor effecting thepivotal joining, -(f) a connecting wall between said opposed walls which normally lies on the side of said arm sections opposite the center post so as to cause the outer endsj if of saidiarm sections .to move generally toward'the post during folding action, spring means between the line, arm sections urging the sections toward folded position, r

' (g), a slidable collar on .thepost and having four radially extending brackets carried thereby,

(h) radial arms pivotally connected at one end thereof a d, to said brackets-and atarm midway between its ends, 5

(i) a similar collarfixed at the upper end of the: center,

post, 1

(j) links pivotally connected atone eiidthereof to said collar andZ at 1 their, other; ends to the radial arms i between their, ends;

(k) the pivotsin the channels beinginclined outwardly" and upwardly when its'line arms are in extended posi-. tion, I i

. tions movingupwardly and:,inwardly as; their outer ends move downwardly and inwardly 'tO 'foIde d position whenthe sliding collar .is lowered..

2. The .structurerecited1i11- claimrl wherein :the pivot elements in the sections of the rline ar ms areinclined j slightly outwardly from the vertical -when said arms-are .5

in extended position; a 5 3. The structure recited'in claim 1 wherein the :pivot means atthe inner ends of the radial arms and the links comprise pins whichpass throughrelongated openings in the arms-and' links to permit limited horizontal movement a 1 of said ,members. a a

References Cited by the Examiner po ne immse r 1/55 Germanygj.v 8/54 Sw'itzerla'ndg.

CLAUDE'JA. LE ROY, Primary Exa g T V FRANK L. ABBOTT, Extzmiherif their other ends to eachline (1) said channels fandthe meeting: endsf of'the' arrn sec- 

1. A FOLDING CLOTHES DRIER COMPRISING: (A) A SUPPORTING CENTER POST, (B) A PAIR OF LINE CARRYING ARMS NORMALLY SUPPORTED IN EQUALLY SPACED RELATION TO THE CENTER POST AND LINES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ARMS, (C) EACH OF SAID LINE ARMS BEING FORMED IN TWO TUBULAR SECTIONS PIVOTALLY JOINED TOGETHER AT THEIR INNER ENDS, (E) A CHANNEL RECEIVING THE MEETING ENDS OF THE TWO SECTIONS WITH PIVOT PINS PASSING THROUGH OPPOSED WALLS OF THE CHANNEL FOR EFFECTING THE PIVOTAL JOINING, (F) A CONNECTING WALL BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED WALLS WHICH NORMALLY LIES ON THE SIDE OF SAID ARM SECTIONS OPPOSITE THE CENTER POST SO AS TO CAUSE THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ARM SECTIONS TO MOVE GENERALLY TOWARD THE POST DURING FOLDING ACTION, SPRING MEANS BETWEEN THE LINE ARM SECTIONS URGING THE SECTIONS TOWARD FOLDED POSITION, (G) A SLIDABLE COLLAR ON THE POST AND HAVING FOUR RADIALLY EXTENDING BRACKETS CARRIED THEREBY, (H) RADIAL ARMS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID BRACKETS AND AT THEIR OTHER ENDS TO EACH LINE ARM MIDWAY BETWEEN ITS ENDS, (I) A SIMILAR COLLAR FIXED AT THE UPPER END OF THE CENTER POST, (J) LINKS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID COLLAR AND AT THEIR OTHER ENDS TO THE RADIAL ARMS BETWEEN THEIR ENDS, (K) THE PIVOTS IN THE CHANNELS BEING INCLINED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY WHEN ITS LINE ARMS ARE IN EXTENDED POSITION, (L) SAID CHANNELS AND THE MEETING ENDS OF THE ARM SECTIONS MOVING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY AS THEIR OUTER ENDS MOVE DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO FOLDED POSITION WHEN THE SLIDING COLLAR IS LOWERED. 